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Reporter's pool visit results in departure
Amy Jacobson leaves job at Channel 5 after tape of her appearance at Craig Stebic's home is made public
By Phil Rosenthal
Tribune media columnist
Published July 11, 2007, 12:01 AM CDT
By showing up in a swimsuit along with her kids, WMAQ-Ch. 5 reporter Amy Jacobson was treading uncertain waters without dipping so much as a toe in the backyard pool of Craig Stebic, whose wife's disappearance Jacobson had been covering.
If Jacobson was hoping to make a big journalistic splash, she instead suffered the self-inflicted sting of a belly flop as her bid to ingratiate herself with a potential source made its own headlines, including this one, heralding her exit from Channel 5.
So the last would-be exclusive she would ever chase for WMAQ instead became fodder for an exclusive at rival WBBM-Ch. 2, which on Tuesday aired and posted online video of her and her children at the same Plainfield residence that Lisa Stebic was moving to evict her estranged husband from on April 30, the day she vanished.
A memo to WMAQ news staff Tuesday announced Jacobson's negotiated exit, effective immediately, from the NBC-owned station, where she had worked since 1996.
"The last couple of days have been tough on everyone," Vice President of News Frank Whittaker and News Director Camille Edwards wrote.
Earlier newspaper reports said Channel 5 was reviewing her conduct and that Channel 2 had tape of Jacobson's Friday visit to Stebic's home. Then Channel 2 made the tape public.
The videotape was neither bought nor shot by a freelancer, said WBBM News Director Carol Fowler, who did not want to say more about its origin.
It is not clear whether Jacobson ultimately was sacrificed because she crossed a journalistic ethical line that says it's OK to be friendly with newsmakers but not really friends or because the station believed the incident was destined to forever brand her in this town more for the news she made than all the news she broke. Station officials would not discuss the matter.
The situation is reminiscent of the 1988 incident in which Giselle Fernandez, then a reporter for WBBM, was contacted by south suburban drug dealer John Cappas about covering his surrender to authorities. Between their interview and federal agents, she went on a speed boat with him and bought him a final pizza, drawing lasting widespread criticism.
"Amy's contributions as a reporter over the last 10 years are numerous," the WMAQ memo said. "Her hustle and passion for news have given us an edge on many top stories. She worked long hours on many days, and we appreciate all she's done."
It's those same traits that this time got Jacobson in trouble.
Jacobson said Tuesday she was not able to comment on the matter. Her representatives, including agent attorney Todd Musburger, did not respond to repeated calls.